


The Land of Milk and Honey

by Akoia, BosionBerry (Akoia)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Attempt at Realism, Blood Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, Culture Shock, F/F, F/M, I hope you like it, M/M, Mage-Templar War (Dragon Age), Mages, Mc is pagen, Modern Girl in Thedas, Politics, Spirits, Templars, This is a brain child i refuse not to take seriously, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:07:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoia/pseuds/Akoia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoia/pseuds/BosionBerry
Summary: Elise always tried to make the best out of a bad situation. Now with a glowing mark on her hand, strange new powers, and the hopes of Thedas resting on her shoulders she's thrust into a brand new world to save it. The task is even more monumental than it sounds with no fighting skills to speak of and danger around every dark corner.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

A figure laid in a puddle of dirty freezing water with clouded brown eyes. The figure stirred, blinking, and slowly sitting up. She was young, not much older than twenty. She pressed her palm against her forehead and hissed, pulling away a hand covered in blood. She looked around, not recognizing a single thing in sight. In fact, there was nothing around the woman that made sense. The green sky was unending, except for the shrieking vortex swirling over her head. The vortex pulsed, sending ripples over the sky, and the woman doubled over in pain. A stabbing pain shot through her left arm and she dropped to her knees. At first, she thought she'd been bitten by a snake. Or electrocuted. But when she turned her hand over her eyes widened. There was a tear along the palm of her hand that ran from the knuckle of her pointer finger all the way to her wrist. She closed her hand and tried her best to stay on her feet. 

"Quickly!" A voice yelled at her, grabbing her by the wrist of her unmarked hand and pulling her along a slick rock path. "Hurry, they're coming!" The voice yelled. 

"Wh-" The woman looked over her shoulder and screamed when she saw thousands of rotten corpses clawing toward her, twisted monsters that looked straight out of a television show. 

"This way!" The voice yanked the woman in a sharp left turn. The two stood at the base of a very tall hill and the woman looked at the voice but...she couldn't quite make out what the voice looked like, other than the fact that it was a woman in a long dress, with a fairly silly looking hat. 

The two of them started climbing, having to kick monsters off their legs regularly. The second woman made it to the top first and turned, stretching her hand outward. Their hands intertwined and suddenly she was being pushed. Back out into the light, through a swirling cut in reality. 

Her vision didn't quite refocus when she realized that she was standing on solid ground. For all of about three seconds, anyway. The woman dropped to her knees, before making a graceless faceplant into the gravel. Her vision wavered before she surrendered to sweet unconsciousness. 

* * *

Elise groaned in pain. She felt like she'd run a thousand miles while someone beat her with a large stick. She slowly opened her eyes and let them adjust to the poor lighting. She was on her knees and her hands were chained to a hook in front of her. Elise's mind whipped into overdrive instantly. Her head snapped up when she heard metal sliding against metal. She came face to face with the tip of an honest to goodness sword. Elise's eyes widened and she gasped, backing away as far as the chains would let her. Had she been kidnapped? How?! When?! Looking around her, there were five people aiming weapons at her head. 

"Where am I?" Elise demanded, hands balling into fists. Her left hand gave a warning hiss before exploding with a bright green light. Elise doubled over and screamed. She opened her hand and looked at the mark with wide eyes. "What the f-" 

The door slammed open and Elise jumped. Her head whipped to the side. Two women stormed in. One slipped easily into the shadows, watching her with intense green eyes. But the other advanced on Elise like an angry wolf, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and yanking her up so they were nose to nose. “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now," she growled. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you!” She shoved Elise over. Elise's head hit the stone and she had to take a second to keep her focus on staying awake. 

"What are you talking about?" Elise asked slowly, sitting back on her knees. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Who's dead? Where am I?" 

The wolf growled and grabbed Elise's left hand and held it up. It crackled and sparked angrily and Elise closed her eyes in pain. "Explain that!" She demanded, letting go of Elise with a disgusted snarl. 

"Your guess is as good as mine!" Elise shot back. The woman raised her gloved hand in the air and struck Elise across the face. "I can't!" Elise shouted. 

"What do you mean you _can't?!"_ The woman screamed 

"I don't know what this thing is!" Elise said, dodging another punch. 

"You're lying!" The woman growled, hand going to the sword on her hip. A hand pressed down on the hilt keeping it in its sheath. The woman's head snapped to her left where the green-eyed woman stood with her other hand behind her back. 

"We need her Cassandra," she said. 

"But Leliana!" 

Elise spit a wad of blood on the ground and ran her tongue against her bottom lip. Her blood coated her tongue and she grimaced. "Look, I have no idea what you're accusing me of, but I didn't do it." Elise raised her manacled hands. 

Leliana stepped around Cassandra and crouched down to Elise's level and grabbed her chin. "Do you remember what happened? How this began?” She asked. 

Elise shook her head. "No I-I...wait...I was running. Monsters were chasing me and then...a woman." 

"A woman?" Leliana repeated, her head cocking to the side. 

"Yes," Elise continued. "She reached her hand out to me and then...that's all I remember." She turned her head down, looking at her hands that were now placed in her lap. "Honest." She tried not to shake. What was happening? Her brain couldn't comprehend. Had she somehow stumbled onto the set of a film? Or a group of _very_ intense cosplayers? 

Cassandra scoffed and looked at Leliana who nodded at her. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the Rift," she said. Leliana nodded and made a swift exit, closing the door behind her. Cassandra reached to her belt and pulled out the keys that were attached to a ring, and unlocked the chains, letting them fall to the ground. She pulled out a length of rope and quickly tied Elise's wrists together. She hauled Elise to her feet, putting a hand on her arm when Elise's feet slipped on the cold ground. 

Now that her life didn't seem to be in immediate danger she realized how _cold_ she was. It wasn't the little shivers you got when you sat under your blankets in winter before the heater kicked in. It was the freezing chill of the desperate that wasn't sure if they would survive for the night. No wonder, she was hardly dressed. She was in a pink nightdress that fell just below her knees. That was it. She looked down at her feet. They were white, with harsh red on the tips of each digit. Elise shivered, trying to hold her arms to keep her core warm. 

"We don't have time for you to change, we're on a tight schedule," Cassandra said. "My apologies," she said, not sounding sorry in the slightest. She pulled Elise roughly toward the cell door. Elise was given slight relief when they trudged up the stairs and onto a floor with a large red rug that ran from one end of the cathedral to the other. Elise gazed in wonder at the stained glass windows and wondered where on Earth she'd managed to sleepwalk. 

The doors were thrown open by two men when they saw Cassandra and Elise. Elise's eyes widened when she saw the snow. "But it's summer," she said. She looked at Cassandra who shot her a confused look but offered no word. They stepped into the snow and Elise hissed, yanking her hands back when her feet touched the frozen ground. The armored woman yanked on the rope, forcing Elise to keep pace with her. Elise yelped and fought almost every step. She looked around and saw dozens of people looking at her with pure hatred. 

For a moment a new panic started taking over her. She wasn't _sure_ where she was, but her logical mind and her heart warred with one another. She knew it was impossible. But when they passed a ground of people who had tipped ears, and slight frames, she knew. Somehow, she knew that she wasn't in Kansas anymore. Or anywhere _near_ Kansas or Totto. "What happened?" Elise breathed.

Cassandra glared, something rude already at the tip of her tongue. But she stopped and sighed heavily. "It will be easier to show you." She jerked Elise past the tents and stopped their walk, raising her arm and pointing to the sky. Elise followed her arm with her gaze and stopped, the air in her lungs freezing. Cassandra let her arm drop and looked at Elise. “We call it the Breach. It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave.”

"An explosion can't do something like that," Elise said, trying to stay on her feet. This is what they were accusing her of. She was so f-

"Well this one did," Cassandra said. "Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world-” the Breach expanded again, the Mark flared and Elise screamed in alarm, her hand tensing as she fell to the snow, her right-hand curling around her wrist in a futile attempt to ease the pain. Tears poured from her eyes, and she was obviously trying to stifle them but was having very little success. Cassandra knelt down in front of her and rested her gloved hands against her shoulders. “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this but there isn’t much time.“

When the flare subsided Elise slowly got back on her tortured feet and sighed. "You say it _might_ be the key, but to what exactly?" She asked. 

“Closing the Breach. Whether that’s possible is something we shall discover shortly. It is our only chance, however. And yours," Cassandra pressed her firmly. 

Elise stayed steady and nodded. "Okay..." She said. 

Cassandra's eyes widened and she seemed taken aback. She observed Elise with a tilted head and fierce eyes. "Then...?" 

"Yes," Elise said bitterly. "If I can stop the sky from caving in and killing us all, I'll do it." 

Cassandra didn't waste any more time on words. She grabbed Elise's ropes and dragged her through the rest of the village. The people glared hatefully, all turning to stare at the woman, who was trying to make herself seem as small as possible under their anger. She stuck close to Cassandra, keeping her eyes low. “They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead." When they were standing outside the gates of Haven, Cassandra grabbed the woman's hands and cut the rope with a quick twist of a dagger. “We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves, as she did. Until the breach is sealed. There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” 

Elise scoffed and rubbed her raw wrists. "Where are we going?" She asked when they started their walk. 

Cassandra turned around. “Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach.”

* * *

Elise stayed quiet when her feet started the bleed while they crossed the bridge that would lead them 'to the valley.' They passed through a gate and Elise saw piles and _piles_ of bodies lined up on either side of the bridge. People in red robes were praying over the bodies with small groups of people gathered around them. They passed through the crowds without pausing. Every time Elise started to slow Cassandra would whip around and grab her, shoving Elise in the front. They alternated between quick walking and jogging and Elise was sure that if the mark didn't kill her then her lungs would surely explode. Or her feet would fall off. Or she'd be skewered on the end of Cassandra's sword. 

The majority of the walk actually wasn't impossible, until they reached the second bridge where a huge meteorite fell from the sky and completely obliterated the stone, cutting through it like a red-hot knife through butter. Elise screamed while she tumbled head over heel down the hill and smacked down on the frozen river. She slowly crawled her way to her feet as her vision swam dangerously. When she turned around, she thought that she must have been having another vision as the horrendous monster clawed itself from the bubbling black puddles of sludge that was covering the ice.

The monster growled, clawing the sludge from its face before it hunched over, growing in size, and roaring in anger. Cassandra had left Elise's side, with her sword drawn, hacking at the second monster before it had even noticed either of the women were there. The other slowly sniffed the air and turned around until its eyes were locked onto Elise who squeaked and fell over, sliding a few inches backward on the ice. Its mouth seemed to stretch into a wide smile, teeth sharp and long as knives poking from its maw. It slowly slithered her way, leaving a trail of burnt sludge behind it. Elise sputtered backward, turning so she was on her hands and knees, trying to claw away. She couldn't get a good grip on the ice, her bloody feet slipping around her uselessly. 

A cold claw wrapped almost delicately around her ankle, and she looked over her shoulder. The monster had stretched its arm nearly twice its length and slowly started to pull her back, poising to strike her the moment she was in range. Elise screaming, thrashing in the monster's grasp. Cassandra's head whipped around. With one downward stroke of her sword, she cleaved the monster in half, spraying black viscera all over the front of her face and armor. She yelled with a mighty roar and charged the beast that had Elise in its clutches. She kicked it in the back and it growled in confusion, twisting its neck around to look at Cassandra who punched it in its jaw and severed its head from its shoulders. It went slack, falling over, before slowly melting into black goop. 

Elise slowly sat up and looked at Cassandra who seemed...displeased. "It's finished, on your feet," she growled before grabbing Elise by the front of her nightgown and lifting her to her feet and setting her down on the ice like she weighed nothing. "Drink this potion," she said. Elise uncapped the glass bottle and winced at the smell. "Drink it before that head wound gets any worse." 

"What..." Elise touched the side of her head and found that her long brown hair had been matted by warm blood. Elise drank the 'potion.' And instantly felt better. She blinked rapidly and gasped as the tingling went down to her feet as well. Then yelped when the newly healed skin started to freeze up again when introduced to the cold. 

"Stop whining," Cassandra snapped and pushed Elise's shoulder, almost causing her to fall back onto the ice. "You have your _life,_ be grateful for that." Cassandra took two steps before reaching into her belt and pulling a knife, throwing it at Elise's feet. "Take that weapon, I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I should remember that you came here willingly." 

"I don't know how to use it," Elise said, bending down to pick it up. 

"Then for your sake, I hope you're a quick learner..." Cassandra sighed and continued on the path. "For all our sakes." 


	2. Chapter 2

Up the mountain and down the bend fighting grew louder and Elise looked up at Cassandra wearily. The woman looked down at her and huffed. "Just stay out of the way," she said, before drawing her sword and rushing into the battle. Elise pulled out her new dagger and scuttled after her as fast as her raw feet would take her. She saddled up next to a short man with a crossbow, who didn't spare a second to look at her, before dodging out of the way. Elise was not so lucky. A blast of energy hit her on the side of her ribs, knocking her clean to the ground. She was winded, gasping for breath and trembling while she climbed to her knees. She looked up and saw a monster-a _demon_ Cassandra said-had its claws ready to kill her and Elise thought for a moment, just a fraction of a second. 

"No!" She yelled, grabbing a handful of gravel and chucking it into the demon's face. It roared in confusion and Elise grabbed her dagger and lodged it into the demon's arm. She pulled it out and raised it again but an arrow pierced through the back of the demon's head, splattering the front of Elise's nightgown with black sludge. She hoped it wasn't blood. She shakily got to her feet and tried to offer her savior-the short man from before-her thanks. But she wasn't given the chance. 

Once again she was practically yanked off her feet by a strong hand. "Quickly!" A man yelled, holding her hand out to the rift. She felt an easy spark in her mark. "Before more come through!" A connection happened between her and the rift and Elise watched in amazement as the rift wrapped inward on itself before disappearing from existence altogether. Like it hadn't been there in the first place. The man released Elise and she fell onto his side, gasping for breath. He steadied her for a moment before gently pushing her away. That was the first time she was able to get a good look at him. Bald. And very tall. He stood a head over Elise, a good eight or so inches above her. And he was an elf, like the people she saw in the village. She quickly turned her head down when she realized that she was staring. 

She opened her palm and looked at the mark. "What did you do?" Elise asked the man. 

The man managed a tired smile and crossed his arms behind his back. "I've done nothing," he said, his eyes panning to Cassandra who stood glaring between him and the shorter man who was grinning ear to ear. "The credit is yours alone." 

Elise's breath caught in her throat and tears welled in her eyes before she managed to beat them back with her eyelids. She stood straighter and looked at the man. "How did this...?" She gestured to her open palm. "Close _that?"_ She gestured back to where the rift had been. "What is it? They must be connected somehow but..." She stopped and pressed her lips together. "S-sorry." 

He cleared his throat and Elise blushed thinking he might have been laughing at her. “Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake – and it seems I was correct.” He seemed pleased, turning and looking at Cassandra with his body leaning against his walking stick. 

Cassandra's eyes widened and she took a step forward. "You mean it really _can_ seal the Breach?" She asked like she didn't dare even hope...

"Quite possibly," the man said. He turned to look down at Elise, looking her up and down and noticing the state of her and raised an eyebrow into his non-existent hairline. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation." 

"Great!" The short man said, looking up from where he was crouched in front of a dead body. Elise shuddered and looked away, closing her eyes for the barest moment before opening them and focusing on the man instead. "And here I thought..." He grunted, pulling the body's boots off of its feet. "That we would be ass deep in demons forever." He tossed the boots over to Elise who yelped and dropped them in the snow. 

"Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” He turned and winked at Cassandra who scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And you should put those on." 

"But..." Elise looked at the body, where 'Varric' was now removing her coat and the right glove on her armor. "But she's dead." 

"And you," the elf said, bending over and picking up the shoes. He thrust them into her arms before she could complain. "Are not. But you might be if you don't cover-up. The exposure might kill you before the demons get the chance." 

Elise felt the boots in her hands. They were soft brown leather on the outside, bending with her hands but staying firm at the ankles with metal spikes around them, point outward. And the inside. Elise dropped them and sat on the ground, stretching one leg out and pulling on the boot with all her might, and sighed when her numb feet were enveloped by the warmth of the shaggy fur inside. She did the other side and felt _amazing._ She took a few steps away from her bloody footprints. Varric handed her the coat and glove next and Elise didn't fuss when she pulled them on. "Thank you," she said when she was finished basking in the partial warmth. "I'm Elise Finley, a pleasure. I'm sure. Are you with...miss Cassandra?" Elise asked. 

Varric snorted and the elf chuckled, shaking his head. "Was that a serious question?" He asked. 

He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and grinned up at her. “Technically I’m a prisoner, just like you.”

Cassandra huffed and crossed her arms. "I brought you here to speak with the Divine, _obviously,_ that is no longer possible." 

Varric grinned at her and buffed his nails against his hairy chest. “Yet, here I am. Lucky for you, considering current events.” 

"Okay," Elise said, taking a deep breath and shivering. "So I can seal the rifts. Great...what's next?" 

"We meet sister Leliana at the forward camp," Cassandra answered. 

"Now _there's_ an idea," Varric said, already walking past them. "Let's get moving." 

Cassandra intercepted him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No! Absolutely not. Your help up is appreciated, Varric, but…”

Varric scoffed and smacked her hand off of him “Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore." He grinned wickedly at her and wiggled his mighty eyebrows at her horrified face. "You _need_ me,” he enunciated every word with clear pleasure. Cassandra gave a disgusted sigh but seemed to concede. 

The elf stepped up to Elise's left side and bent his head to her for a second. "My name is Solas if there are to be introductions." His blues eyes flicked momentarily down to her hand and he gave her a weary smile. "I’m pleased to see you still live.”

Varric turned to Elise. “He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'”

She grabbed her hand and sighed. "There's still time, don't worry," she said. She looked at Solas, while the group followed Cassandra who hopped over a wooden fence. "You seem to know a lot about this thing..." 

Cassandra turned over her shoulder. "Solas is an apostate and he's well versed in strange magical happenings." 

Solas leveled her with a dry scowl. " _Technically,"_ he spat. "All mages are now apostates, Cassandra. My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage. I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed regardless of origin.” 

"Mage?" Elise asked. "You mean...like magic? You were doing magic?" 

He gave her the same sour look and Elise flinched. "Yes, is that a problem?" He asked. 

"No! Of course not it's just...well I've never seen magic like that before." 

"So then tell me, what does magic look like?" He asked. 

"Well, sometimes it doesn't look like anything." She shrugged and looked at his staff. "It's words spoken, or actions taken, that set off a domino effect. It's asking the universe to..." She blushed and turned away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to babble." She cleared her throat and laced her hands together and stood straighter. "Well, I suppose we shouldn't waste our time standing around. I thought we had a Breach to close." 

"You're absolutely right," Solas said, leveling her with a strange look. They continued down the path and Solas helped her struggle over the wooden barrier and looked down at the ripped skirt of her nightdress and shook his head. "Whatever strange magic she posses, I doubt she had the power to cause the Breach." 

The last two soldiers followed behind them but split off with a wave of Cassandra's hand. Almost as soon as they had touched down from the hill above several demons caught their scent and rounded on the group, hissing angrily. "Glad you brought me now, Seeker?" Varric asked. He climbed a rock and started firing bolts toward the monsters that were advancing on them. Elise pulled out her dagger and her legs tensed. Solas put a hand on her shoulder and gestured for her to stand near Varric before letting her go and chasing after Cassandra who was already in the thick of battle. 

Cassandra swung wide and decapitated a demon, not slowing before turning and parrying a demon's claws. She slashed to the side, severing the arm from the demon's side and ducking to cut it right in half in the middle. A demon caught her in the side and she yelled, pulling her fist back and punching it in the mouth, reaching into its throat, and pulling out her tongue. Elise hissed and drew closer to Varric. She suddenly felt incredibly lucky that Leliana had been there to keep Cassandra from taking out her anger on Elise. 

"Heads up!" Varric called. 

Elise turned on her heel and came to face with a green whisp moving slowly towards her. She took her dagger out, not entirely sure if it would work, and lunged at it. She cut upward and cut through it. It fused back together and shot a green blast into her stomach. She yelped, falling over onto the snow. The dagger fell out of her hands and she scrambled to pick it up. Varric had her back, firing two bolts from his crossbow before the whisp faded, leaving Elise panting for breath. 

Varric slid down the rock and got down on one knee, making sure she wasn't dead. "Fuck, you're not very quick on your feet, are you?" He asked. 

"No," she said. She slowly got to her feet and bent over and rested her hands on her knees. There was sweat pouring down her face. "I smell disgusting." 

"Only a little," Varric said with a teasing grin. He slapped her on the back and they walked over to Solas and Cassandra who were waiting for them. "So...you from somewhere near the Free Marches?" Varric asked her when they were together. 

"What? No, where's the Free Marches?" Elise asked. 

"You're...kidding," Varric said. 

"No...I'm from Baker City, Oregon," she said. When they all gave her blank looks her heart quickened. "You know...America...Earth?" 

Varric shook his head. "You know what, one shity weird situation at a time. For now, you sound like you could be from...Ansburg? Ostwick? This is going to bother me.” 

Elise stumbled up the stone steps that Cassandra led them when her mark flared and she yelped, losing her footing, and sliding painfully down several steps before she managed to regain her bearings and stand up. Cassandra, Varric, and Solas all looked at her before looking at each other. Elise saw the hopeless resignation they all exchanged in their eyes. She struggled to stay upright and ignore the blood that was leaking out of the shiny new gash on her leg. She walked past them and further down the trail.

"Shit...are you alright, kid?" Varric asked, hurrying to catch up with her. 

"I'm not a kid," she fired back. Varric rolled his eyes but chuckled keeping pace with her. Cassandra easily got to the front, and Solas took up the rear. 

"So are you innocent?" Varric asked. 

"I would certainly hope so, Varric." 

* * *

The group of four arrived at the forward camp looking rough. None looked quite as worse for wear as Elise who had a new burn on her arm from an angry demon that had taken its frustrations out on her. Cassandra breathed when she saw Leliana who was arguing with a man across the camp. Their voices were carrying all the way to the entrance, practically a screaming match. 

" _Enough!"_ The man yelled, slamming his hand down on the wooden desk as they approached. He knocked several wooden objects onto the floor and they rolled around underfoot. "I will not have it!" He growled at Leliana who smirked at him wickedly and opened her mouth before noticing Cassandra.

She smiled at the group. “You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is–” 

"I _know,_ who she is," the man said, his eyes snapped to Cassandra who was balling her hands into fists. As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

Cassandra grit her teeth. "'Order me’? You are a glorified clerk. A _bureaucrat_!”

Elise took a step back. Tried? _Executed?_ These people were insane. She needed to get out of there. She could run away. Just past Solas and Varric, then over the side of the wall. She could get away. If she just- 

Solas's arm grabbed her and held her firmly in place, his fingers digging roughly into her skin. She looked up at him and froze over at the icy look he sent her way. Full of disgust and loathing. He leaned down closer to her ear. "If you wish to flee like a coward, maybe you shouldn't do it surrounded by people who _will_ stop you." He let her go and straightened up.

"Oh, so no one's in charge," Varric said, snapping Elise back into the conversation that was being held about her fate. 

"Because _she,"_ Rodrick pointed a finger at Elise. " _Killed_ everyone who was in charge!"

"We need to get the prisoner to the Breach," Cassandra said, calling order back to their meeting. "We must get to the temple. It’s the quickest route.” 

"But not the safest," Leliana stepped in. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

Cassandra was already shaking her head. “We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It’s too risky.”

“Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost," Rodrick said with a sigh. 

Cassandra looked over her shoulder at Elise who stiffened. "You want my opinion now?" She asked, wiping mud off of her face. 

"You have the mark," Solas reasoned. 

"And you're the one we have to keep alive," Cassandra said. 

Elise sighed. She would have given anything for the whole affair to just be over. She was so close to the finish line. "I'm going, to be honest, I don't know how I made it this far. We don't have any more time. We need to finish this as soon as we possibly can. Let's charge with the soldiers." 

* * *

The bodies. Gods above, the bodies were the most horrific part. Elise counted thirty-six on the way to the temple alone. And when she crested the stairs that would have led to a grand cathedral she stopped. She covered her mouth and turned away. She couldn't. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stand to walk in the path of so many twisted souls, that were crying out in terror and pain. Did they know what was coming? It looked like many people had simply died where they stood. But others, on the outskirts of the temple, were curled in on themselves. Hundreds of people laid dead before her feet and she wept. Every step she took felt like an abomination. 

"The Temple of Sacred Ashes," Solas said, standing by her side. 

"What's left of it," Varric said under his breath. 

“That is where you walked out the Fade and our soldiers found you." Cassandra pointed to a mostly intact arch. "They said a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” 

Varric whistled and put his hands on his hips. "The Breach is a long way up," he said. 

"You're telling _me,"_ Elise snorted. 

"This is your chance to finally end this, are you ready?" Cassandra asked Elise, giving her an uneasy look. 

Elise huffed. "As ready as I'll ever be. How am I even supposed to get up there?" She asked gesturing to the Breach that hung at least fifty feet above them. 

"There," Solas pointed to a disjointed rift that crashed together like cogs jammed by tree branches. It made a horrible granting noise in tune with the pulses of the Breach and the flares on Elise's mark. "This rift was the first and it may be our key to sealing the breach." 

"That's a lot riding on chance," Elise said. 

"We should find a way down from here," Cassandra interrupted, gesturing for them all to follow her down the rocky steps. Behind the wall, Leliana and a few men with swords and bows stopped when they saw the group of four. Cassandra's shoulders slumped and she breathed a little easier. "Leliana, we made it," she said. 

"Praise be," Leliana said, sliding to a stop her leather boots kicking up rubble and dirt underneath her. She looked over to Elise, sweaty, bloody, Elise and offered her a beautiful smile. "We're running out of time, do you need assistance getting down there?" She asked.

Elise would love it if someone would just carry her down but she shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary," she said. The new group looped through jutting rocks, stepping carefully so they wouldn't be crushed by debris they'd accidentally knocked loose. As they walked, Elise prayed in her mind to every god she could remember. Every ancestor she'd lit a candle for. Every spirit that guided her through her life. Elise yelped and grabbed Cassandra when a new pulse from her mark knocked her off her feet. 

The clouds shuddered as thunder boomed through the valley, the sky opening with green lightning cascading from the breach, destroying whatever was in its path. “Now is the hour of our victory," a voice shouted, deep and terrifying. "Bring forth the sacrifice.” Elise pushed herself off of Cassandra and grabbed her head in her hands when the voice bounced around in her skull, echoing continuously. 

"What is that?!" Cassandra demanded, turning to Solas. 

"If I had to guess," he said, grabbing Elise by the back of her borrowed jacket and forcing her to stand on her feet. "We may be hearing the person who created the breach." 

Elise gasped, groaning quietly. "Fu-," 

Another crash of lightning struck the structure above them, sending stone crashing down around them and knocking away a bolder that had been obscuring a clump of red crystal. Elise's eyes widened when the crystal shimmered beautiful red light all around them. It felt healing, peaceful, and so warm. Varric grabbed her, forcing her to turn away. "Nope! That shit's evil. Don't touch it." 

"What?!" Elise asked, pulling her eyes away from the crystal with great effort. 

"Keep the sacrifice still," the deep voice boomed, silencing whatever explanation Varric would have given her. 

"Someone!" A woman yelled. "Help me!" 

Cassandra gasped and looked up at the Breach. "That's Divine Justinia's voice!" 

They reached an opening and Elise jumped first, losing her footing and landing on her hands and knees before quickly scrambling to her feet when Leliana's men jumped after her. She stumbled when the mark fired, but remained standing, clutching her wrist. Cassandra and Solas were at her back. 

"Someone help me!" Justinia screamed again. 

"What's going on here?!" Elise's voice called from the rift, sounding angry, and frightened. 

"That was _your_ voice!" Cassandra looked at Elise, her eyebrows drawing together. “You _were_ there! Who attacked? And the Divine is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”

"I...I don't know, I'm sorry," Elise said. 

Solas slid up beside Cassandra. “Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place.” He sniffed, running his hand absentmindedly around the space in front of him. He looked at the rift and hummed, rubbing his chin. "This rift is not sealed, but it is closed… albeit temporarily. I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”

Cassandra turned to the other soldiers. "That means demons!" She shouted. "Be ready!" 

Swords were drawn and bows were knocked. The soldiers all looked as exhausted as Elise did like they hadn't slept in a week. Their eyes were resigned and Elise swallowed. Did any of them know that she would have abandoned them if Solas hadn't stopped her? She balled her hands into fists and slowly walked to the rift. She looked behind her at Solas who nodded and raised her hand. 

The rift shifted, sighing happily, before ripping open. The energy blasted everyone in the area back a few feet. There was a green ball of buzzing light that hung in the air for a few seconds before a huge monster burst through with its arms open wide. It laughed wickedly, chilling Elise to the bone. Its fingers curled around the air, and from a pocket of space, it pulled an electric whip into its hand. It brought it down with a mighty swing, shattering the stone where it hit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wrath Of Heaven is my least favorite part to write, and I'm trying so hard not to just skip it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

The demon had a thick armored body, it's only weak spots were its joints and the neck. But with it constantly lobbing balls of lightning toward the soldiers they had no chance of taking it down. Elise knew she was useless in a fight anyway. Especially against _that_ horrible beast. She sprinted away from the fighting and slid underneath the huge rift and raised her hand, keeping still while the energy vibrated between her mark and the rift. It burst and the demon howelled, falling to its knees. 

"Good!" Cassandra yelled from across the battlefield. She and the other warriors started beating on the demon, dodging its large hands that were coming down all around them. Solas was casting barriers and fire spells while the archers gave air cover from above them. The rift groaned. 

Elise had enough time to let her mind think. The rift was like a window blowing air through a curtain. And Elise managed to pull the curtains closed but a strong gust of wind blew them open again. Elise was knocked on her back when the energy of the rift blew back at her, severing the connection her mark had to the rift. She sat up and groaned. She quickly got to her feet and ran when Cassandra called out to her. She didn't have a moment to even see what attack would have smeared her all over the rocks before the electricity dissipated. Elise rolled behind a statue and looked around it. 

There were new demons were being pulled through the rift and were growling at the fighters. Elise pulled her dagger out of her coat's pocket and ran up behind a demon that was slinking towards one of the archers that had jumped down with them. Elise yelled when she dug the knife into the demon's shoulder. It howled and spun its head around to spit sludge in her face. She screamed and dislodged her dagger and slashed it across the face. She kicked it in the chest and stabbed it again. This time it melted into goop and Elise stood there gasping. She ran her hand down her face, wiping the sludge away and shaking it off her hand. 

Elise waved at the soldier who thanked her and jogged back to the rift, raising her hand to connect with the rift. She imagined a stuck window and closed her eyes. She shoved the window into place, leaning all her weight down on it until it slammed into place. There was an explosion, the energy pushing outward in all directions. Elise was sent flying. She looked up at the sky, her vision doubling before it swam. She heard feet running toward her and Cassandra slid on her knees, grabbing Elise from the ground, holding her head up. 

Cassandra was yelling but Elise couldn't hear her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she surrendered gladly to the darkness. 

* * *

Waking up was much easier, tucked under a heavy blanket. Elise's eyes opened but she didn't want to get up. All her muscles hurt but she was finally warm. Had all that really happened? Of course, it had, it was too painful not to have been real. She shuddered, remembering how the skin on the bottoms of her feet had started to come off on frozen stone, leaving blood behind with each step. Elise heard a door open and sat up, throwing the blanket off her. 

An elven woman yelped and dropped the box she was carrying. Something glass shattered and leaked out the bottom. The woman dropped to her knees, pressing her face into the carpet. “Oh! I didn’t know you were awake, I swear!” She stuttered. 

"No, it's fine, I-" 

“I beg your forgiveness and your blessing. I am but a humble servant.” The woman looked up at Elise and back to the ground several times. “You’re back in Haven, my lady. They say you saved us. The breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand. It’s all anyone has talked about for the last three days!” 

Elise slipped out of bed and saw that she was bandaged from her feet to bellow her knees on both legs. She was also in a new silk nightgown that went all the way to the middle of her calf. Still no socks. "I suppose Cassandra will be in here to haul me off to be executed then." 

The woman looked up at Elise with _wide_ eyes. "Oh no, my lady," she said. She stood up, scrambling to her feet and backing up to the door. “I’m sure Lady Cassandra will want to know you’ve wakened. She said she wanted to be told 'at once’!”

"Wait a moment," Elise held her hand out to the woman who was opening the door and turning away. 

"At once, she said!" She ran out the door, slamming it closed behind her, leaving Elise in stunned silence behind her. 

Elise huffed and sat back down on the bed when her legs started to feel weak. There was a leather-bound journal by her bedside and she filled it open. 

_—Day One—_

_Clammy. Shallow breathing. Pulse over-fast. Not responsive. Pupils dilated._

_Mage says her scarring "mark" is thrumming with unknown magic._

_Wish we could station a templar in here, just in case._

_—Day Two—_

_Pulse normal, breathing normally._   
_Still unresponsive; careful drop-feed of prep._

_Elfroot extract to hasten her recovery._

_A lot of thrashing. Mutters about too many eyes. Something about "the grey." Encouraging?_

_—Day Three—_

_Less thrashing. Some response to the stimulus. Vitals seem solid._

  
_Two attempts so far by locals to break into the chantry to kill my patient._

_All that work to save her life, and will they just execute him/her?_

_I Will inform Lady Cassandra I expect her to wake before the morn._

Elise threw the book across the room and jumped when an angry caged bird squawked at her. "I really could have died," she said. She looked at the bird, who was pecking at a wooden toy, and slowly walked over to him, leaning down. "A raven," she said with a smile, holding out her hand. "What strange test is this, Allfather?" She asked. Elise backed away from the bird and explored 'her' room a little more. 

Draped over the back of a desk was a set of clothes. Elise ran her fingers over the fabric. It was soft, thick, and warm. It was a dress that reached down to her knees, a pair of leather pants, thick wool socks, and boots that reached up to her knees. She dressed as quickly as she could, keeping the nightdress on under the clothes for some form of protection. The dress had a corset that laced up at the sides and it took her a solid thirty minutes to figure it out without help. 

"At once," Elise muttered, walking slowly to the door. She thought she should find someone to tell her what was going on. _Was_ she going to be tried and executed or not? Well...she wasn't in chains, so that was a good sign. The door's handle was brass and it felt like it burned in her hands. She pulled it open. She took a step back when voices started floating towards her from a crowd of people that were waiting by the roads that ran through the little town she'd been taken to. 

Elise looked around, finding wooden shacks, wooden walls, and stone stairs leading to a higher part of the village. But they were blocked by people who were scrambling to look over the shoulders of soldiers that were lining the roads, keeping people from...Elise wasn't sure. She looked up at a soldier who had been standing outside her door. "Excuse me," she called to get his attention. He turned like he was on a string and placed his fist over his heart and bowed his head. "What are they doing, sir?" She asked, gesturing toward the crowd of people. 

"They're waiting to see you, my lady," the man said. 

Elise blinked at him. "Why...?" 

"You stabilized the Breach, you sealed the rifts that had been popping up all around the mountain, you saved lives when you attacked with the soldiers." He cleared his throat when his voice started to climb. "Many say they even saw Andraste herself guiding you out of the Fade. You're her Herald. The people are just so relieved to see you back on your feet, my lady."

Many questions bounced around in Elise's skull, but she settled on something simple. "Where is Cassandra?" She needed to find the 'Seeker'. Elise thought she must have been driven completely insane by whatever nightmare she was having, but it would be nice to see a failure face. "The girl in my room told me she was in the Chantry, but I don't know where it is."

"Just up the stairs there, you can't miss it," he said, pointing past the group of people pushed against the armor of the men and women who were blocking their path to see Elise up close. Elise swallowed and quietly thanked the soldier. "A moment, my lady," the man said, following her. "I can...take you there if you'd like," he said. He didn't wait for her to answer. He took the lead. Elise jogged after him, his steps carrying him quickly down the path. He reached the group of villagers and he held his hand out to Elise. Then he used his arm to gently push the people back to make room. 

People were speaking to each other. A man leaned over to his friend, elbowing her in the side. "There she is," he whispered. 

"Hush, we shouldn't bother her," the woman replied. They both bowed their heads when they saw Elise look in their direction.

“Maker be with you," one man said, stepping out of her way. “Blessings upon you, Herald of Andraste," said another. 

"Uh, may the Force be with you?" Elise muttered back.

“Walk safely, Herald of Andraste.”

A group of people cheered when they saw Elise pass them by. They all raised up wooden mugs of something in the air. : “Good luck sealing those rifts!" One woman shouted at her.

Soldiers that didn't have their hands full keeping people away from the road would salute Elise with their hands over their hearts. She gave them each a tilt of her head. Her guard put his hand behind her back and turned her so they could walk up a flight of stairs where people cheered and little children were throwing flower petals on the path. 

Finally, Elise saw it. It was the same building she'd been held in when she'd first woken up. She remembered how these same town's people had glared at her, spitting on the ground she walked on. They'd been calling for her head, demanding her blood be spilled for the death of their 'Divine.' The change left her feeling a little dizzy. 

There were people standing outside the Chantry. Elise assumed they were priests. Their uniforms were mostly the same. Red and white. They were praying, singing almost, their hands were clasped in front of them. 

“Chancellor Roderick says that the Chantry wants nothing to do with us.”

“That’s not Chancellor Roderick’s decision, Sister.”

Elise was led into the Chantry by her guard, who waved to the two men guarding the door to close them. "They'll be waiting in there for you," he said. 

"Thank you, what's your name?" Elise asked. 

He bowed to her at the hips. "Maxwell Trevelyan, at your service, my lady." 

"Well...thank you, Maxwell, you were a great help. Have a nice day." 

Elise approached the door and listened to the argument behind it, not sure if she should interrupt. There were two guards standing in front of the door. They had swords etched into the metal. She looked between them, but neither of them gave her a glance. Elise shuffled a little closer, putting her hand on the door.

She jumped when the priest from the bridge shouted so loud she could hear him as if he was standing right next to him. “Have you gone completely mad?! She should be taken to Val Royeaux immediately, to be tried by whoever becomes Divine.” 

"I do not believe she is guilty," Cassandra shot back, her voice much calmer, but with a clear edge to it. 

One of the guards sighed. "Just go in, they've been at it since that elf came to tell Seeker Cassandra you were awake." 

Elise opened the door poking her head through. "I was told you might want to see me, Cassandra," she said. Three pairs of eyes turned to her. Elise smiled nervously. 

"Yes, lady Elise, please come-" 

"Chain her!" The priest demanded, slamming his hand on the table they were arguing around. "I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial." 

The two guards both sighed behind Elise, but neither of them reached for her, looking at Cassandra. "Disregard that order," she said dryly. "Come in and close the door behind you."

Elise nodded and when the door was closed she cautiously approached the table, offering a smile to the priest who had turned an interesting shade of red. “You walk a dangerous line, Seeker," he warned Cassandra. 

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it.”

Elise felt her cheeks heat. "I...well I did everything I could to close the Breach. I'm pretty sure it almost killed me." 

“Yet you live," Rodrick snapped at Elise, leaning over the table to glare at her. "A convenient result, insofar as you’re concerned.” 

Cassandra held an arm out, keeping Rodrick from getting in Elise's personal space. “Have a care, Chancellor. The Breach is not the only threat we face.”

Leliana stepped up to Elise's right side with her arms behind her back. “Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave. Someone Most Holy did not expect." A cold smile slid over her beautiful face. "Perhaps they died with the others – or have allies who yet live.” Her green eyes were sharp as daggers that brought the temperature in the room down a few degrees. 

Rodrick's face paled but he recovered, gritting his teeth together. " _I_ am a suspect?!" He demanded, his voice cracking in pure disbelief. 

Leliana shrugged casually. "You and many others." 

"But not the _unknown apostate_ that crawled from a rift from the Fade in the _same spot_ where the Divine was murdered?" Rodrick pointed to Elise who flinched, wishing she could hide behind Cassandra. She was a fortress. 

Cassandra put a hand on Elise's shoulder. “I heard the voices in the temple. The Divine called to her for _help_.”

Rodrick squawked and flung his hands up in the air. “So her survival, that _thing_ on her hand – all a coincidence?” He asked, glaring between the three women in the room, giving them each the same amount of heat. 

“Providence," Cassandra said. "The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.” 

Elise smiled at Cassandra and raised an eyebrow. "So then you changed your mind about me, did you?" 

She sighed deeply. “I was wrong. Perhaps I still am. I will not, however, pretend you were not exactly what we needed when we needed it.”

"The Breach still hangs over our head and your mark is the only means we have of closing it," Leliana said, snapping them all back to the situation at hand. "We must try again and seal the Breach for good." 

"I couldn't agree more," Cassandra said. She left Elise's side to sauntered to a bookcase, pulling the thickest tome from the shelf. She flipped it open and said something under her breath and shut her eyes, turning her head up to face the ceiling. Then she turned and slammed the book down on the table. She rounded on Rodrick with a fire burning in her gaze. He jumped back, covering his heart with his hand. "Under the direct orders of Divine Justinia, I declare the Inquisition of old reborn." Cassandra advanced on Rodrick, pressing her finger into his chest, standing over him like a bear. "We will close the Breach and hunt down the perpetrators of this wicked act of terror in the space built to forge peace! And I am _not_ asking you for permission." 

Rodrick left the room as soon as he saw an opening. Leliana chuckled and closed the door behind him. "He won't forget that, Cassandra," she said. 

"Good," the woman snarked, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

"This is the Divine’s directive: Rebuild the Inquisition. Find those who will stand against the chaos. We aren’t ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now no Chantry support.”

"Wait...we?" Elise asked, pointing to herself. "You still need me to help?" 

"Yes," Cassandra said. "We don't have a choice, we have little time to act. We need you at our side." 

Elise chewed on her bottom lip and fiddled with the hem of her dress. "What if I don't want to?" She asked, looking between Cassandra and Leliana. 

Leliana chuckled and leveled Elise with her intense gaze. "You can leave if you wish," she said. 

"But," Cassandra held her hand up, stopping Leliana from following up. "Many believe that you were chosen by Andraste to lead us from the chaos. But many people still think you're guilty. We can only protect you from them if you stay with us. 

"And we can help you if you stay," Leliana continued. "Solas said he wasn't sure how the mark will affect you. You'll want to be close to him just in case." 

Cassandra nodded. “It will not be easy if you stay, but you cannot pretend this has not changed you.” 

Elise looked between the two women and swallowed thickly. This wasn't a dream or a hallucination. She'd already gone over those possibilities in her head over and over again. It was too convenient to be true. The pain was too real. The fear was too intense. How would these people react to an outworlder? She didn't know anything about them. But she couldn't leave them, could she? If even five people wanted her dead half as much as Rodrick did she wouldn't last the week. "You're trying to use me as the figurehead of a holy war," Elise accused Cassandra lightly. 

"We are _already_ at war. You are already involved. Its mark is upon you. As to whether to war is holy… that depends on what we discover.” Cassandra shrugged and then raised an eyebrow.

Elise needed them, didn't she? She swallowed and chewed her bottom lip. "I...I'm not from here," she said. 

"Yes," Leliana pipped up. "We knew that already. We couldn't find any records of you as an official attendant I expanded my search. Nowhere have I found records of Elise Finley. At first, we assumed that you had just lied to us, but I suppose that isn't the case, is it?" Leliana asked with a smile. Elise shook her head and Leliana nodded. "Where are you from then?" She asked. 

"Nowhere from...here," she gestured around. She didn't think they'd believe her if she just out and said that she was from a totally different world. But she didn't think it would be wise to lie to Leliana. "Not from this world. I was born somewhere else." 

Leliana looked at her for a long time before humming. "Well, then I suppose we'll need to give you a cover story." 

"So you believe me...just like that?" Elise asked throwing her hands up in the air. 

"Maybe I wouldn't if you weren't such a...strange person. Nothing else has made any sense since the Breach, so why not this too?" She looked Elise over again. "I'll speak to you again soon when we have the story nailed down. In the meantime, I suggest you see Solas so he can make sure your mark is acting...well normal might not be the right word for it." 

Elise scoffed and looked at the green mark on her hand. "Well, when I woke up, this really wasn't what I was expecting." 

"Trust me, miss Finley, neither were we," Leliana said. 

Cassandra walked closed to Elise and held her hand out. "Please, help us before it's too late." Elise looked at the hand and swallowed. She raised her hand and gingerly wrapped her fingers around Cassandra's and they shook hands. It felt so final, the three women looking at each other when the shake was finished. It was official, and Elise had no idea what she was doing. Cassandra closed the book and grabbed it from the table, tucking it under her arm. 

"Tomorrow morning we'll announce the rebirth of the Inquisition. I'll have someone come to collect you an hour beforehand so you can be present for the meeting we'll hold an hour before the announcement." Cassandra said. 

"I...alright," Elise dipped her head and left the room, letting the door close behind her. She saw that Maxwell had waited outside the room, sitting on a crate. When he saw her, he jumped up, and saluted her again. "Excuse me, do you know where Solas is? I was told I should see him," she said. 

"The apostate is staying in a cabin next to the alchemist Adan," Maxwell said. "I can take you if you'd like." 

"Oh...yes please, thank you." 


End file.
